Mugiwara Naruto
by TheDogSage
Summary: Failing to become a Genin for the third time due to the Gomu Gomu no Mi, Naruto finds himself with only option for a chance at happiness: leave Konoha. Joined by Hinata, Naruto starts off to new lands, new friends, and a new goal: Become Pirate King! R/R
1. Escape From Konoha

Me no owny One Piece or Naruto.

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_Jiraiya grinned to the Sandaime Hokage as the toad sannin stood on the window sill, taking in the office. The elderly Kage sat in his normal place behind the desk, and on the floor nearby sat a six year old boy with bright blonde hair, sky blue eyes, and three whisker-like marks on each cheek, several small toys before him as well as several pieces of paper and a box of crayons._

_"Hey old man, see you got stuck babysitting the gaki again." Jiraiya said from his position with a wide grin, which grew as the blonde predictably cried out "I'm not being babysat! I'm just visiting!"_

_Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled as he nodded and said "Naruto's right Jiraiya, he's not being babysat by me. He's just keeping me company while I do battle against the greatest evil of all Kages." Looking to Naruto, Hiruzen asked "And what's that?"_

_"Paperwork!" the six year old cried from his place on the floor, which got a chuckle from both Jiraiya and Hiruzen as the elderly leader said "Correct Naruto. And it is a foe feared by all because of its immortality and replicating abilities. Not even the legendary Yondaime could defeat it."_

_"Anyways, I came to show you something interesting I found in my travels." Jiraiya said as he leapt from his perch and walked in front of the desk, digging into a pouch on his side. From it he retrieved a violet Yubari melon adorned with swirls which he sat on the desk atop several pieces of paperwork. As he saw it, Hiruzen's eyes widened as he looked from the item on his desk to his student, then back to the item._

_"I-is that what I think it is..." Hiruzen asked, and Jiraiya nodded proudly as he said "Yep, its one of the legendary and rare Devil Fruit from the Grand Line. You wouldn't believe how difficult it was to obtain this thing, because they are worth quite a bit. And there are people who would literally kill for this thing, something I found out firsthand..." As he spoke, he opened his shirt, revealing a fresh scar adorning his chest, looking out of place amongst the faded scars left many years ago by Tsunade._

_"I see." the Hiruzen said, before asking "So Jiraiya, do you know what this Devil Fruit can do?"_

_Closing his shirt, Jiraiya said "From what I could find out, the devil fruit is called the "Gomu Gomu no Mi", and its a Paramicia."_

_"Paramicia?" the Sandaime asked, and Jiraiya nodded as he said "Yeah. There's three types of Devil Fruit, the Paramecia, the Zoan, and the Logia. Paramecia fruit gives the person some kind of superhuman ability, such as being able to turn their body into blades, turn people to stone if they think an impure thought, or in the case of the Gomu Gomu no Mi, turn their body into rubber. Zoan fruit gives the person the ability to turn into a hybrid or full version of an animal, such as a giraffe or leopard. And the Logia fruit gives the person the ability to transform into, generate, and control a certain element, such as sand, smoke, or fire."_

_"Imagine if we could grow this fruit..." Hiruzen muttered, both looking down at where the fruit lay... only to find it missing._

_"WHERE IS IT?!" Jiraiya yelled, the answer coming almost immediately in the form of a small voice muttering "This fruit tastes bad." followed by a biting noise. Both turned to find Naruto sitting nearby, chewing and swallowing before taking another bite, several bites already taken out of it._

_"NARUTO!"_

_"BRAT!"_

_"What?" said blonde asked as he looked up, Hiruzen frowning as he said "Naruto, you know that doesn't belong to you."_

_"I know..." Naruto answered, to which Hiruzen asked "If you knew, then why did you take it."_

_"I was hungry, and Ichiraku's is closed today due to Tuechi-jiji being sick. I'm sorry..." Naruto answered sadly. The anger left both adults immediately as they remembered that the child's only regular source of food was Ichiraku's, and that with the store closed, his chances of finding food elsewhere were slim._

_Sighing, Hiruzen said "It's OK Naruto, I understand. Just... next time, ask before you take something." Naruto nodded and held the partially eaten fruit out to be taken back, which Jiraiya did, removing the seeds before returning it._

_"I've got what we need old man. The kid can have the rest, considering its now just a nasty-tasting fruit, its power belonging to Naruto." Jiraiya said as he sat the seeds on the desk while Naruto continued eating. It may have tasted bad, but it was food and until Ichiraku's reopened, it'd have to do._

_"Well brat, I must congradulate you." Jiraiya said, causing Naruto to look up from his fruit to the Sannin as he asked "Why?"_

_"Because by eating that fruit your body has taken on the properties of rubber, making you, in essence, a "rubber boy." This will allow you to stretch and contort your body in ways that would make Orochimaru drool with glee." Jiraiya said, causing the blonde to look at the remnants of his nasty-tasting meal in awe. He was made of rubber?_

_"AWESOME!" Naruto cried happily, causing Hiruzen to chuckle as Jiraiya said "Yes, but in exchange for being a fire boy, you lose the ability to ever swim. In fact, coming in contact with water will cause you to sink like a hammer."_

_"Oh..." Naruto muttered, before brightening as he said "Oh well, ninja don't have to be able to swim. I've seen the strong ninja walking on water, which I bet I can learn to do! Besides, this means I don't have to take baths anymore."_

_"Yes you do. The amount of water used in a bath won't affect you brat, and you can always take showers." Jiraiya said, squashing that dream, which caused the blonde to frown sadly._

_"Don't be like that brat. You'll like bathes with time, trust me. Especially when you like girls." Hiruzen said with a grin, causing the blonde to blanch and glare at the Hokage as he said "Eeeew! Girls are nasty, Jiji!"_

_"What?! Brat, girls are the most beautiful creatures on this planet!" Jiriaya replied, to which Naruto shook his head as he said "Uh-uh! Girls are nasty, and they have cooties!"_

_Leaning back in his chair, Hiruzen lit his pipe, taking a deep puff, smiling at the sight of Jiraiya and Naruto arguing over whether or not girls were 'nasty' as he thought 'Today just got a lot more interesting thanks to you Naruto... And it gives me a reprieve from this accursed paperwork.'_

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Blue eyes slowly opened as a teen rose from his bed, placing his feet on the floor. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he sighed sadly as he realized he had no real reason to get up. He'd failed his third, and final, attempt at becoming a Genin, and as such was now considered a civilian. Swinging his feet back onto the bed, he closed his eyes as he pulled the covers over his form and closed his eyes.

That fruit.

It was all that supid fruit's fault. If he hadn't eaten it seven years ago, he would be able to mold his chakra properly. He would be able to use the henge, bunshin, and kawarimi jutsus. He would have passed his Genin exam the first time, and not suffered through two more torturous years of school, and two crushing failures.

Even worse, now he was pretty much doomed to homelessness, starvation, and death. His only chance at an income had been becoming a ninja, because noone else would hire him. Noone else would give him a chance.

Sighing again, he snuggled deeper into his bed as he muttered "I'm a failure."

But instead of falling back asleep, he laid there, wide awake and thinking. He had no future in Konoha, no hope at employment, happiness, or a family. He was doomed if he stayed here.

"I guess I have only one choice then." he muttered, tossing the blankets off of him. Returning to a seated position, he pushed himself to his feet. Going about his normal morning routine, he was quickly dressed in his orange and blue vest, a pair of blue jean shorts, and a pair of flipflops adorning his feet, his googles hanging around his neck.

Looking at his backpack, filled with enough ramen to last a couple weeks, the rest of his clothes, and a few other sentimental items, he sighed. This was it, he was leaving Konoha and possibly never coming back... Which got him to thinking, what did he have here? Iruka, the Ichirakus, and Hokage-jiji. But they had their own lives, their own worries, their own responsibilities.

They would miss him, that was for sure, but they would move on. Maybe even be better off without him.

Shouldering his pack, he nodded to noone in particular and hardened his face as he set a pair of envolopes on his bed, walked out his apartment door, and shut it, most likely for the last time.

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Lifting one of the flaps in front of the stand, Naruto smiled to the young brown-haired waitress as he said "Hi Ayame-nee-chan!"

"Hi Naruto-kun!" Ayame said with a smile, curiousity flooding her at the sight of his backpack, which he sat on the stool next to him before taking his perferred seat. "What's with the backpack, Naruto-kun?" Ayame asked, and Naruto grinned as he said "Just going on a small trip."

"Oh..." Ayame replied, and Tuechi came out with a bowl of ramen as he said "Here ya go Naruto, a Miso Ramen to start with, as always."

"Thanks Tuechi-jiji!" Naruto said, snapping open his chopsticks.

But before he could start eating, Tuechi asked "So, going on a small trip, huh?"

"Yeah, just need to get away for a few days, to clear my head." Naruto said with a grin, the old man nodding as he said "I can understand that... And I am sorry you failed your test again. Maybe next time, eh?"

"Yeah, maybe next time." Naruto replied, and Tuechi frowned as he picked up the lack of enthusiasm from the boy. Nodding, he disappeared into the back of the stand as Ayame asked "You failed your exam again?"

"Uh-huh. Still can't do those stupid jutsu cause my chakra's all messed up." Naruto muttered, slurping up his noodles as Ayame said "Well, I think you deserve to be a shinobi anyways! It doesn't matter if you can't do jutsu or not, you're more than strong enough to be a ninja without them!"

"Thanks nee-chan!" Naruto said with a wide smile, Ayame returning it as she said "Well it's true, and you know it as well as I do."

"Yep." Naruto practically churped, shovelling ramen into his mouth with his chopsticks, enjoying the taste as he slurped them down and replaced the eaten ramen with more. Letting out a content sigh, he returned to his ramen as Ayame giggled at his reaction to the ramen, the same every day without fail.

As he emptied the bowl of noodles and began draining it of its soup, Tuechi returned from the back, carrying a box. Looking at it, Ayame's thin brows rose as she looked to her father curiously, who merely smiled and nodded.

"That was delicious!" Naruto called, then frowned, eyeing the box as he asked "What's in the box, Tuechi-jiji?"

"It's a present for you, Naruto." Tuechi said with a grin, to which Naruto gaped open-mouthed at the ramen chef. Noone had ever really given him a present before, and taking it, he opened it and stared at the contents.

"It's a hat." Naruto said, lifting the dome-topped straw hat from its container. It appeared a bit old, and was nicked around the rim, but otherwise it was in good condition, appearing meticulously cared for, even the red ribbon circling the cap of the hat was well-maintained.

"That's not just any hat, Naruto. That hat belonged to the world famous Monkey D. Luffy, Captain of the legendary Mugiwara pirate crew and known as the second Pirate King. It was given to my great grandfather by the man himself, and it has been kept and maintained by my family ever since. Now, I'm giving it to you." Tuechi explained, Naruto's eyes widening at hearing its heritage.

"Wooow, you're really giving it to me?" Naruto asked, and Tuechi nodded, taking the hat from the boy's loose grip and gently placing it on his head as he said "That's right. Uzumaki D. Naruto, I'm giving it to you, and I know that you will wear it proudly and continue its legacy of adorning the heads of great men who did extraordinary things."

Naruto stared at the man, tears welling in his eyes before leaping and wrapping his arms around the man's neck, crying and muttering "thank you"s as he did so.

Hugging the blonde and patting him on the back, Tuechi said "You're welcome. And I hope when you become a great man, you'll remember me and Ayame."

"Of course I will!" Naruto said, allowing himself to return to his stool as Ayame asked "So, do you want some more ramen?"

"Uh-huh! Pork ramen please!"

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Patting his stomach and feeling much better now that he had ramen in his stomach, he casually strolled toward the gate, not going quickly since speed was not of the essense at the moment, bag once more slung over his shoulder, and his new hat resting proudly on his short, golden mane.

As he walked, he heard a soft voice murmur "Na-Naruto-kun..."

Stopping he turned toward the source as he asked "Eeh?" Noticing the speaker, he asked "You were in my class, right? Hyuuga Hinata, isn't it?" Nodding, the midnight-haired girl tapping her index fingers together, a light blush adorning her cheeks.

"Where are you going?" she asked softly, noticing the backpack hanging from his shoulder, and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he said "Just going on a short trip. Get some fresh air, you know."

"No you're not." Hinata said, and Naruto asked "What do you mean?"

"You're lying." Hinata continued, and Naruto's eyes widened as he replied "N-no I'm not! I'm telling the truth!"

"Please don't lie to me." Hinata softly requested, and Naruto sighed, slumping defeated as he said "OK, I'll tell you the truth. I'm leaving the village."

Eyes widening she asked "Why?"

"Because, there's nothing for me here. I failed the academy a third time, so I can't go back there, and I can't get a job in Konoha. I know there must be something better for me out there." Naruto said, Hinata nodding as she said "Ok..."

Frowning, she looked to her blonde crush as she asked "Can I-I come with you?"

"What?!"

"Can I co-come with y-you?" she repeated, and Naruto frowned as he asked "Why? You didn't fail your exam, you're already a ninja!"

"I know... But ma-maybe my fa-father would be ha-happier if I di-disappeared." Hinata stuttered, looking away, ashamed she was telling him this.

"But why come with me?" Naruto asked, and Hinata answered "Because I..." She thought of telling him the truth, but found herself unable to. Deciding to compromise for now, she stuttered "Be-because I wa-want to be yo-your fr-friend."

"Really?" Naruto asked, excited at the prospect, but then frowned as he asked "Why didn't you want to be my friend before?"

"Be-because I was t-too ner-nervous to a-approach you before... Bu-but now you ne-need a fr-friend, and I ca-can't let yo-you go o-out alone." she stuttered. Naruto looked at her for several long, silent moments before a grin crossed his face as he said "Alright! Get packed and we'll get going!"

Hinata nodded, turning to return home, pack, and leave before she lost her nerve. If she was lucky, their friendship would eventually blossom into love. But if not, she could still be there for him, offering emotional support and being a shoulder to cry on. Be the friend he never had and she failed to be before.

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"Do you see anyone?" the blonde asked his travel partner, whose eyes were white and veins were raised around them as she studied the massive front gates of Konoha and the surrounding forest for possible guards... most likely Izumo and Kotetsu, serving guard duty for some trouble they caused.

Shaking her head, Hinata softly replied "It's safe, they're not out there."

"Really? Well, let's hurry before they show up for their scheduled punish... I mean assignment." Naruto said with a grin. Taking hold of her hand, Hinata's face turning an interesting shade of purple from the contact, and ran through the gates, laughing as he did so.

"This is the beginning of a great adventure! Some day I'm gonna be Uzumaki D. Naruto, King of the Pirates!" Naruto called to the sky, Hinata only nodding as she fought not to pass out.


	2. The Exit Discovered

Me no owny One Piece or Naruto.

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A couple of hours later, Naruto and Hinata were calmly down the path toward Nami no Kuni, Naruto's hands held behind his head as he grinned, enjoying the sunshine and just walking with his first true friend. Hinata likewise was enjoying just being around Naruto, at being able to be there for him, if only as his friend.

However, the euphoric feeling was slowly dissolving, and she frowned as she called out "Na-Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah?" he replied, and after a few moments of thought, Hinata asked "Wh-what are our plans?"

"Plans?" Naruto asked, then gave her a face-splitting smile as he said "Don't have one."

"Wh-what?" Hinata asked, stunned by the admission, to which the blonde merely shrugged as he replied "Eh, to be perfectly honest, I didn't think I'd even get this far. So for now, I'm merely going to travel, get me a good ship, and gather a strong crew."

"Why?" was her next question, and Naruto wrapped an arm around her shoulders, getting a startled 'eep!' from his compatriot as he said "Because that's what Tuechi-jiji said that pirates do! They get a good ship, gather a strong crew, then sail around, making a name for themselves! But I've already got a head start on the crew with you by my side, Hinata-chan!"

Blushing at the praise, Hinata asked "How do we d-do that?"

"Well, the second Pirate King Monkey D. Luffy mostly did it by fighting the 'World Government' and other pirate crews. I suppose we could do that too, but we'll have to get some more strong crew mates before we go after the World Government or the really strong pirate crews. Because there's only so much two people can do, even if it's us!" Naruto said.

Stopping, he removed his arm from Hinata, not noticing the soft whimper at the lost contact from Hinata as he placed a hand over his eyes to shield them from the sun as he asked "Sooo Hinata-chan, what kind of crew should we have... besides strong, that is?"

Drawing in on herself, the girl tapped her index fingers together as she replied "Th-they should b-be like a fa-family... a na-nakama."

"Nakama, eh?" Naruto asked, looking at his friend, causing her to draw in even more on herself as she nodded, the blonde's smile growing as he said "That's a great idea Hinata-chan! If we're going to fight with them and trust them with our lives, then we should be a nakama! No time for stuck up temes or closet perverts in our crew!"

Taking hold of her wrist, he gave a self-assured grin and headed toward the nearest town with a exuberant cry of "Now, onward to gather that nakama, Hinata-chan!"

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Iruka sighed as he walked down the street toward Naruto's apartment, having felt about 2 inches tall since the Genin exam yesterday. The look of pure betrayal in Naruto's eyes yesterday had bothered the man since the blonde's third, and final, exam failure. He knew this would force his adopted little brother into the civilian world, dooming the child to practical slavery, forced to work twice as hard for not even a quarter of pay, if he can even find work.

_'How do I... How __**can**__ I apologize to Naruto for destroying his dreams and all but selling him into servitude just to survive?'_ Iruka thought bitterly. Stopping he looked away down a different street, considering just leaving the boy alone, and not wanting to have to deal with the hatred and distrust that the child would surely show him... not that he could blame him.

Sighing, he began walking down the street again, deciding _'I've got to talk to him, and pray that he can somehow forgive me, maybe see if I can find him a place in Konoha where he can at least survive, if not thrive...'_

Walking like a man headed toward his execution, the brown-haired man made his way up the stairs and all to soon found himself standing before his former student's door, which looked like it had been painted over recently... which it most likely had been, due to grafetti he'd been forced to see several times.

Taking a deep, calming breath, he raised a hand and gave several firm knocks, calling through the door "Naruto, are you home? I need to talk to you! Please, just let me talk to you for a few moments, I want to explain!"

Not getting an answer, not even angry cries for him to just go away, Iruka frowned, panic beginning to flood him. Reaching for the doorknob, he tried it. Finding it unlocked, he turned the knob and swung the door open, revealing an empty front room.

"Naruto?" Iruka called, walking into the eerily quiet apartment. Studying his surroundings, he found the room's dressing Spartan at best, but knew the blonde spent so much money on food that he had little in the way of decoration budget.

"Naruto, are you home?" came another call, and Iruka opened his bedroom door, and felt his heart drop into his stomach at the two envelopes resting on the pillow of the unkempt bed. Rushing to it, he picked them up and stared at the names written on the front in Naruto's messy scrawl.

Finding the first addressed to the Hokage, he noticed the second was addressed to him. Ripping open the envelope, he pulled out the letter and quickly read it. Eyes widening as he read it, the teacher felt his legs weaken and he fell to his knees, eyes filling with tears as he read it, torn between sadness and joy.

_'H-he doesn't blame me...'_ Iruka thought, a sorrowful smile on his face as he read how the young blonde had decided it'd be best if he just left the village and find a life elsewhere, away from the hatred and ignorance of the people, search for a better existance outside Konoha's walls.

Sighing, he folded up the note and slid it into a vest pocket, looking to the note addressed to the Hokage, also in Naruto's messy scrawl. Rising onto his feet, he took the note and tucked it away, exiting the apartment and heading toward the Hokage tower to inform the Sandaime of his former student's departure from Konoha.

The teacher already knew that he'd miss the young blonde, but he also knew that getting away from here was the best for his little brother. Maybe he'd find the happiness denied him in Konoha on the road, maybe even find some real friends.

Stopping on the road, he looked toward the sky, a sad smile on his face as he softly said "Goodbye Naruto."

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Hiashi stared at the note from his daughter, quickly written but impeccably neat, basically telling him of her decision to leave the village, which should make him happy, and apologizing for not being stronger. And knowing he did not have to deal with a weak heir did indeed make him happy. But it also infuriated him, because she lacked the Caged Bird Seal to protect the Byakugan from being stolen when she was eventually killed.

This left him in an perilous position, either allowing his daughter to traipse about unsealed and risking the safety of the Byakugan, or have the village ANBU bring the child back, where she could further disgrace the Hyuugas with her very existance.

Snarling, he crumpled up the note and tossed it away. Even when she was gone, that child was disappointing him.

Taking a few deep breaths, a sudden smile crossed his face as he realized something. Since his daughter was a failure, then her Byakugan was inferior, defective even. And that meant anyone who got a hold of her particular Byakugan was going to get a defective, useless version, hopelessly inferior to those possessed by himself, Hanabi, and even his nephew Neji.

Chuckling, he muttered "It seems that you've finally done one thing right in your life, Hinata." before turning to tell the Elders of this turn of events.

But deep within his heart, he felt a twinge of fear and sadness at Hinata's self-imposed exile. However, the stone that encased it quickly found and snuffed out that small bit of fatherly emotion.

Just as the elders had trained him to do.

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A look of great sadness crossed the wizened face of the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, as he read the note left to him by the blonde he'd come to think of as an elder grandson. He wanted to go out, find the blonde, and bring him home, treating it like an upset child running away from home because something didn't go his way.

Unfortunately, he was a realist and knew that doing so would have Danzou descend on the boy like the hawk he was, wanting to snap up what he saw as 'helpless prey', and taking the disobediant boy into his 'disbanded' Ne, to be made into Danzou's personal lapdog to be used toward the man's twisted purposes.

Sighing, the Hokage looked up to where Iruka sat, and at the look in the dark eyes, Iruka gave a sigh of his own. "We're not going to go after him at all, are we Hokage-sama?"

It wasn't a question.

"Unfortunately no, Iruka-san. Doing so would just force him back into a situation he doesn't deserve, and make him succeptable to certain individuals residing within Konoha." Hiruzen said, adding "Besides, you and I both know that technically the boy is a civilian, and we have no more jurisdiction over his coming and going from the village than any other civilian."

"But he's just 13!" the teacher said, and Hiruzen nodded as he said "Be that as it may, he was emancipated when I got him his apartment, declaring him an adult. The only thing that allowed him to get money from the orphan's fund was his age. But he won't be able to draw on that for too much longer even if we brought him home, and he had a valant point about not being able to get a job in Konoha."

"I know... I-I just wish I'd done more." Iruka muttered, Hiruzen replying "Me as well. I thought I was doing what was best for him, but it seems I just managed to fail him quite spectacularly. Hindsight's 20-20 after all, isn't that true Iruka-san?"

"Yes, it most certainly is." Iruka agreed, leaning back in his chair, rubbing his forehead, thinking of what the blonde must have gone through, must have felt to believe that leaving the village was better than remaining.

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Yawning like a tiger lazing in the shade, Naruto pushed his new straw hat over his eyes as he leaned back against the tree he was sitting beneath, arms behind his head as a pillow. Nearby, Hinata sat with an open map in her lap, filled with a mixture of happiness and fear. She was happy that she was away from the silent hatred of her family and with her Naruto-kun. But at the same time she was afraid that they would show up, take her back to be put under the Caged Bird seal, and possibly kill Naruto because they'd try and say he had kidnapped her.

As if reading her thoughts, Naruto grinned from beneath the rim of his hat as he said "Ne, Hinata, don't worry. If anyone comes after us from Konoha, I'll just beat'em up with my powerful punches." She smiled softly, knowing of his monstrous strength from secretly watching over him as he trained, and it was one of the things that first caused her admiration of the blonde.

"I-I brought a ma-map fr-from home, and it sa-says the-there's a small village nearby." Hinata murmured, and Naruto's smile grew as he said "Cool! That means we can get something to eat there, and get you some pirate clothes!"

"Wh-what do you mean?" she asked, and Naruto shrugged as he said "I like what you're wearing and all, but you need something more 'piratey' if you're going to be my first mate!"

"O-oh..." Hinata replied softly, a blush adorning her cheeks at hearing that. He had enough faith in her to make her his first mate, which sounded like a very important position in the crew.

"Yeah, we'll go there just as soon as I finish my nap..." Naruto said, yawning again before drifting off to sleep. Hinata couldn't surpress the soft giggles as she watched the sleeping blonde, his soft snoring filling the air, drool already trickling down his chin and threatening to drip onto his shirt.

Turning back to the map, Hinata continued studying it, planning their immediate travel plans. Naruto, bless his heart, seemed to be more of a 'vague outline' kind of guy, perferring to wing it or follow random impulses over actually sitting down and deciding what needs to be done.

Which meant that if she didn't want to wander in circles based on Naruto's impulsive and short attention span, she'd have to do the planning herself. This made the former Hyuuga heiress happy, because it meant that she was useful to and needed by the blonde 'captain', something that she never was with the Hyuuga clan.

Thinking about them made her sigh, wondering if they actually cared that she'd even left... beyond happiness they no longer had to put up with her 'weakness' anymore.

But such thoughts were pushed away by the appearance of several large men, each dressed in tattered clothes and carrying various large weapons.

"Well well, what do we have here? A couple of lost little kiddies, with noone to protect them." spoke a greasy-haired man wearing an eyepatch and carrying a club, the bald man next to him swinging what appeared to be a giant butcherknife as he said "Yeah, I think the capt'n will be just pleased with them!"

"Na-Naruto-kun..." the small Hyuuga spoke softly, backing away from the men, who began walking closer, grinning maliciously as the did so.

"Mmmm..." the sleeping blonde murred, and Hinata continued "We-we're being a-attacked..."

"Oh... OK." Naruto replied, and the men laughed as Hinata felt the fear rising up in her... Then the blonde shot to a sitting position, staring around him as he asked "We're being attacked?!"

"Yep brat. You're going to be joining the Iron Fist pirates whether ya like it or not!" spoke a red-head with a sickle, and Naruto frowned, crossing his arms as he said "Nope. Can't do it. I'm already a captain, so I can't very well be joining you guys!"

"Oh, a smartass, eh? Guess I got no choice but to beat ya into submission!" asked the 'leader', who charged with his club raised. Hinata cried out as Naruto leapt to his feet with a grin, readying a fist.

"Gomu Gomu no PISTOL!"

His fist rocketed forward, stretching until his knuckles cautch the man in the stomach, sending the man rocketing backwards, crashing through two trees before skidding to a stop, where he laid spasming.

"Whose next?" Naruto asked with a grin, pushing his hat up with his index finger. The other men looked from each other, to the blonde, and then their unconscious 'leader.'

"Go get'em Boshi!" said one, pushing the bald man forward, whose eyes widened as Naruto's grin grew predatory while awaiting the next attacker. Gulping, the bald man charged and swung his giant blade at Naruto in a horizontal stroke, which Naruto leapt over, stilling grinning like a fox in the henhouse.

"Gomu Gomu no STAMP!"

This time his foot rocketed forward, stretching until the sole of his flipflop slammed into his attacker's face, sending the unfortunate man rocketing backward until he slammed into three of his compatriots, bowling them over and leaving all four laying on the ground groaning. Landing in a crouch, Naruto's grin grew into a somewhat feral smile, as he cracked his knuckles, looking at the few standing men.

"So... Who're these 'Iron Fist' pirates anyways?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms as he leveled a stare at the remaining attackers.

"We-we-we're the rulers of Ganzaku Town nearby!" one of them stuttered, backing away from Naruto and Hinata, who stood next to the blonde.

"Hay Hinata-chan, where were we goin' for your pirate clothes again?" Naruto asked, and Hinata looked at the map as she said "Ga-Ganzaku Town."

"That's perfect! It means we can begin making a name for ourselves by beating up these Iron Fist pirates!" Naruto said with a grin to the midnight-haired Hyuuga, turning to the still frightened men as he said "And these guy's'll lead us there!"

"Says who?!" one of them asked, and Naruto jabbed a thumb at his chest as he said "Says me! Got a problem with'it?" as he readied himself in his fighting stance.

"N-n-no! Not at all!" the man replied, raising his hands in defeat, getting a nod from Naruto who said "Well then, hurry up and lead us to Ganzaku Town and yer boss, so I can beat'em up!"

As they turned, one of the standing men grinned as he said "The boss and his liuetenants'll put these brats in their place!"

"Yeah. I almost feel sorry for'em..." replied his friend, mirroring the grin.

"Hey! What'cha talkin' about?" Naruto asked, and the two men froze up, looking to the blonde slowly, fearful smiles on their faces as they replied "No-nothing!"

"Oh... OK." Naruto said with a nod, following the men with a grin.

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A/N: Sorry, fans of Will of Fire, but I'd written myself into a hole with Mera Mera no Mi Naruto. Unfortunately, there wasn't really a way to challenge him besides suiton users, Haki users, and Orochimaru. And having him fight countless suiton and Haki users would make things too predictable.

Also, for those who dislike OC characters, you may as well stop reading now. OCs will be involved, and some will be major characters. In fact, Will of Fire's Sonomaru will return with a changed background and slightly different personality next chapter. Naruto's crew will consist of a mix of OCs, Anime-only, and manga characters, some with changed backgrounds, but otherwise the same.


	3. Ganzaku Town

Me no owny One Piece or Naruto.

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Entering Ganzaku Town, Naruto looked around the small, homey village, hands held behind his head as he asked "So, this is your 'kingdom' huh? Not much to be bragging about, if you ask me." His 'escorts' scowled at the insult, but nodded to answer the question, one saying "This is only the beginning of our empire! We're just starting!" in an attempt to save face with the blonde.

"Wh-why haven't ni-ninja or sa-samurai been se-sent yet?" Hinata asked, and both men grinned as the other said "Oh, that's easy! Ninja only do what they're hired to do, and noone's escaped here to hire them. And the samurai serve the Daimyo without question, and as long as we pay the taxes to him, he has no need or reason to send his dogs."

"Then whose that?" Naruto asked, pointing to a teen no older than him and Hinata, who held a katana between his teeth and one in each hand. A feral grin adorned was visible around the katana as he looked around himself at the fallen men, their weapons scattered across the ground. Reaching up, he wiped the sweat off his brow on his white kimono sleeve, amber eyes shining from the adrenaline coursing through him. His green hair was tied back in a short ponytail, revealing a rather nasty-looking scar over his left eye running up from the eyebrow.

"Who the Hell are you!?" one of the escorts yelled, and the teen turned, his feral grin turning into a rather goofy grin. Quickly sheathing two of his katana, he removed the third from his mouth, waving with his free hand as he easily sheathed the third.

"Hi! I was just looking for a costume party that was being held in town, and I was attacked by these pirate guys, who thought I was a samurai!" the teen said, rubbing the back of his head as he said "I know my costume's good, but I didn't think it was THAT good."

"Hey! Did you really defeat all those guys?" Naruto asked, and the teen looked around him, his grin shrinking as he said "Err... yeah. I just got so carried away, caught up in the heat of battle and all, that I guess it sort of happened by accident, ya know?"

"Y-you defeated twenty of our crewmates by _accident_!?" the other escort asked, and the teen nodded, giving a helpless shrug as he said "I guess I did. I only meant to defeat a few of them, just enough to make them leave me alone. But they just kept coming, and like I said, I got carried away in the heat of battle, and... next thing I know, here we are." Looking around himself again, the boy said "And just so you know, these guys were WEAK! My little sister could probably beat'em up."

Hinata looked over at Naruto, who'd grown silent, and started at the starry-eyed look in her friend's eyes. Tapping his shoulder lightly, she asked "Na-Naruto-kun?"

"Hinata-chan... I think we've found our first nakama!" Naruto said with a grin that looked as if it would threaten to split his face, and their escorts looked at them in shock. They then looked toward each other, and finally the third teen who apparently wielded three katanas.

The reaction was immediate. They began screaming in terror, running out of town as fast as their feet could manage.

"Uuuh... What was with those guys?" the teen asked, and Naruto shrugged as he said "Dunno. But I've got a question for ya... Do you wanna to join our pirate crew?"

"You want to know if I want to become a pirate?" the teen asked, and Naruto's grin grew as he said "Yep! You can be our... well... our sword guy! I'm Captain Uzumaki D. Naruto, and this is my first mate Hyuuga Hinata!"

"Well, in that case..."

Hinata felt her body tense up, prepared to fight in case the teen attacked. But the teen just mirrored Naruto's large grin as he said "Sure! I've always had an itch to be a pirate, just like my great granddad!"

"AWESOME! Our crew's getting stronger already, Hinata-chan!" Naruto cried, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she stood, too stunned by boy's strange mood swings to really notice Naruto hugging her again.

"My name's Kitsareta Sonomaru, and its a pleasure to meet my new crewmates!" Sonomaru said, walking out of the small ring of bodies created by the apparently forgotten attack. Ocassionally stepping on someone as he moved toward Naruto and Hinata, they groaned in pain, and a 'sorry' followed.

Standing before them, Sonomaru grinned and asked "Soooo... what kind of ship do we sail, Captain?"

"... Ship?" Naruto asked, and Sonomaru nodded as he said "Yeah, ship. Pirates generally sail on ships, ya know. Part of what differentiates pirates from bandits... well, that, better clothes, and more skilled in combat."

"A-ano, we don't ha-have a ship yet." Hinata replied softly, and Sonomaru frowned as he said "Oh..."

"Then we'll just have to be Walking Pirates until we get a ship!" Naruto said with a wide grin, to which his two crewmates smiled in agreement.

"Now, first thing's first... We get you guys some more piratey attire!" Naruto continued, and Sonomaru replied "But I've got to get to my costume party!"

"I-I-I do-don't think there is a party here..." Hinata replied, and Sonomaru said "Of course there is! It's at 113 Kame Street in the town of Daimoku."

"But this isn't Daimoku... It's Ganzaku." Naruto corrected, and Sonomaru slumped as he asked "So this ISN'T Daimoku?"

"No." Naruto answered, and Sonomaru questioned "Are you sure this isn't Daimoku?"

Hinata pulled out the map and opened it, showing it to Sonomaru as she pointed to it and said "Y-yes... W-we travelled 12 miles _west_ of Konohagakure to Ganzaku... A-and Daimoku is 16 miles _east_ of Konohagakure." At this, Naruto burst into a fit of laughter as Sonomaru stared at the map for several long seconds before he cried out in frustration.

"A-ano... I'm sorry..." Hinata mumured, and Sonomaru sighed, giving the shy girl a smile as he said "Don't be, it's not your fault. It's mine, and the fact I have a horrible sense of direction."

Naruto, doubled over and gasping for air, wiped his eyes as he said "Weh... well, I guh-guess we sho-shouldn't make you nah-navigator then! We'd probably end up in the middle of Marine Headquarters."

"Hah hah. Very funny." Sonomaru deadpanned, and Naruto erupted into a new fit of laughter, collapsing as he struggled to breath, his face red and tears flowing from his eyes.

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Gasping for air, the two men who'd been coerced into guiding Naruto to town burst into a large office through sturdy oak doors. Collapsing to their hands and knees, they lifted their heads and looked to the desk in the middle of the office. It was sturdy and made of mahogany, its laquered surface scarred with gouges from various blades, bullet holes, and burns.

Which made it fit the room, which was in disrepair, the walls littered with gouges from various blades, fist-sized holes, and bullet holes. Broken and picture frames laid on the floor, and a bookcase worth of tomes lay scattered and torn across the floor, the bookcase they came from also scarred with gouges, burns, and holes of various sizes and shapes.

"Bo-boss! Boss! We've got trouble in Ganzaku!" one cried, looking to the man sitting behind the desk. His black hair was carefully slicked back, dark eyes studying the two men before him.

"What kind of trouble?" their leader asked, and the other said "Th-three kids!"

"Kids? The trouble is three children?" the leader questioned, a thin eyebrow rising in confusion, and the other said "They're not any normal kids! They're monsters! One of them defeated several of our crew in less than three moves, and the other took down twenty and claimed it an accident!"

"I see... That _is_ disconcerting, isn't it?" he replied, and both nodded.

"Of course, they wouldn't be the first powerful rookies to pop up... That is, if we don't bring them to heel before they can grow that powerful." the man said with a grin. Rising to his feet, he dusted his impecably tailored suit off and walked around the desk, standing before the men.

"Thank you gentlemen, for bringing these kids to my attention. And as a gift for your work, I'm giving you a swift and painless end." he said, and both men's eyes widened as they cried "Bu-but Captain Di-Diaz..."

They were cut off by him slamming his fists directly into the tops of the their head, causing them to smash through the floor.

"I can't stand weakness." Captain Diaz said, cleaning the blood from the half-inch thick iron bars screwed over his knuckles.

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Still snickering as they walked down the road, Naruto placed his hands behind his head as he asked "Sooo, you good at anything else besides swords, Sonomaru?"

His chest swelling with pride, Sonomaru grinned to his new friends as he said "Yeah. It just so happens that I'm a damn fine chef."

"Really?" Naruto asked, and Sonomaru nodded as he said "Yep. Mom and dad were constantly telling me that I needed to find something to relax me and take my mind off training and fighting. If I didn't, chances were that I'd snap and turn into a violent psychotic, or go down a dark path of drugs or rampant achoholism. I tried singing, art, and metalwork. But it turns out I sound like a sack full of cats when I sing, my artwork can be best described as 'an assault against the eyes', and... well, I kind of got tired of burning myself when forging."

"So I tried cooking. I found that I was both good at it and I found it to be a rather enjoyable activity... Though I swore I heard the faint whisper of a man ranting about some 'curly-browed ero-chef' or something like that." Sonomaru continued, Hinata frowning as she asked "Really?"

"Yeah... I think it might have been my great grandfather Zoro. He had a rather heated rivalry with a chef named Sanji." Sonomaru said, Naruto's face scrunching up as he muttered "Sanji... Zoro? Those names sound familiar..."

"They were crewmates of the Pirate King Monkey D. Luffy." Sonomaru said, and Naruto's face broke into a wide grin as he said "I remember! Tuechi-jiji was telling me about Luffy before I left Konoha. It's where I got the idea to be a famous pirate."

"Aah..." Sonomaru said, then asked "Is that where ya got the idea for having the middle initial D.?"

"Naaah, that's just always been my middle name. Didn't think it had anything to do with Luffy, cause from what I hear, dozens of unrelated people have had that initial." Naruto said, before his face scrunched into his 'thinking face' as he looked to Hinata and Sonomaru and asked "You think that it might have something to do with Luffy?"

"Ma-maybe..." Hinata murmured, and Sonomaru shrugged and asked "Does it matter?" Tapping his chin with a finger as he looked to the sky, Naruto grew silent for several seconds before giving a beaming grin and saying "Nah!"

The trio was forced to a stop as an elderly man hobbled in front of them, glaring darkly, eyes narrowed behind a pair of thick-lensed glasses, leaning heavily on a can. "Yo-you stupid brats! Do you have any idea what you've done?!" he yelled at the trio, and Naruto replied "No... Should we?"

"Yes! You attacked members of the Iron Fist Pirates! We've been at a comfortable peace with them, where we pay them and they don't harm us! Bu-but now... Now you've gone and made them angry, and they're going to come and destroy our village!" the man yelled, and Naruto frowned as he said "We did not! They attacked us first, and we merely protected ourselves!"

"It doesn't matter, you stupid brats! You should have bowed and offered them whatever they wanted!" was his reply, and Naruto scowled as he said "So you expect the future Pirate King to bow to anyone, especially these weak 'Iron Fist' pirates?" But the old man didn't reply. Instead, his face paled until he resembled a sheet, a violent shiver running through him.

"Oy, what's the matter with you?" Naruto asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"You... Pirate King?"

As the old man hobbled into the nearest building, the trio turned to find 'Iron Fist' Diaz standing behind them, arms crossed over his chest, staring at the trio of teens before him. Behind him stood two-three dozen pirates, all wielding weapons, whether they be blade or bludgeon.

"Yeah. Me!" Naruto replied, jabbing a thumb into his chest with a wide smile, other fist resting against his hip. Sonomaru carefully grabbed one of his katanas, and Hinata slid into a Jyuuken stance.

"Aren't you a cocky little brat?" Diaz asked, his face turning into a vicious smirk as he said "Cocky little brats like you are always the first to die on the sea, you know. I should kill the three of you here and now, but I think I'm gonna be nice and let you live... after a lesson in how the real world works, that is. Men, show these brats what happens to their kind in the world of piracy."

Quickly drawing a katana and placing it between his teeth, Sonomaru drew his other two swords and charged with a grin, dodging, weaving, and slashing at anyone who attacked him. Wooden handles were slashed through, and blades were parried and the opening exploited with an almost brutal efficiency. Nearby, Hinata was moving and flowing around attacks aimed at her, but only ocassionally attacking herself, as if afraid to do so. But those who recieved her Jyuuken strikes were quickly rendered unconscious by her precise, chakra-laiden blows.

"Hehehe, this the best you got?" Naruto asked as he charged forward, ignoring the blunt weapons and dodging the blades as his fist and feet stretched forward, sending anyone who found themselves in the way sent sailing until they either crashed into a building or the skidded across the ground. His attacks were quick and his movements unorthodox, almost as if he was fighting on instinct and impulse instead of any preconcieved style, which fit the boy quite well.

All too quickly, the three dozen men were left broken and bleeding, those unfortunately still conscious moaning in pain. Some were left lying on the floor of a nearby building, the occupants of the structure staring out the hole their flying carcass created to get its current spot.

And in the midst of the carnage that his crew had become stood Captain Diaz, surveying the broken bodies of his crewmates with a hint of disdain. "Weak, all of you. To be so easily beaten by three mere... children. It seems the standards of this crew have dropped severely as of late."

Turning his eyes to the trio, he said "Oh well. It seems if I wish for something to be done _right_, I must do it myself."

Giving a cocksure grin and cracking his knuckles, Naruto looked toward Hinata and Sonomaru as he said "You guys stand back. I'll handle this guy myself."

"A-are you su-sure?" Hinata asked, turning her eyes to the lone man standing, and Naruto's grin grew as he said "Of course, Hinata-chan! If I can't win a fight against this guy, how will I ever be Pirate Captain."

"Good luck, Captain." Sonomaru said as he sheathed his katana and walked off to the side, sitting on the porch to watch the battle. Naruto nodded to the green-haired teen with a smile, and after giving her crush a nervous look, she shuffled off to sit next to Sonomaru, her index fingers nervously tapping in front of her chest.

"Confident, aren't you?... Or maybe I should say suicidal?" Diaz asked, and giving the man a predatory grin, Naruto replied "We'll see soon, won't we teme?"


	4. The Nakama Pirates Are Born

Me no owny One Piece or Naruto.

A/N: For Kasek. Rock Lee was able to pass the genin exam without chakra because, being the guy he is, he probably actually sat down and studied inbetween his workout sessions. Naruto's never been much of a dedicated schoolboy, what with the frequent skipping class to pull pranks, sleeping through them, and general goofing off. Of course, that's not completely his fault, since he learns best by doing instead of sitting at a desk (kage bunshin, rasen-shuriken, sage training, etc), which is how the school taught. So, with or without chakra he was going to fail, as seen in canon.

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Diaz rolled his head, cracking his neck as he asked "So, Straw Hat, any last words?"

"Nah... Well, not words really. It's more of a gesture." Naruto said with a wide grin, bringing his hands up and giving Diaz a double one-fingered salute. This caused the man to scowl as he charged Naruto, swinging a fist aimed at the blonde's forehead. Naruto turned, watching the fist fly past. Throwing another punch, Diaz watched as Naruto turned the other way, avoiding it to.

Another fist thrown, another dodge performed. dropping low, Diaz attempted a trip, but Naruto merely leapt over the kick, a hand holding his hat in place during the jump. Rising to his feet, Diaz growled, throwing a fast volley of punches aimed at the blonde, who twisted, turned, and ducked under the punches, his smile never disappearing.

"Hold still you little punk!" Diaz snarled, and Naruto grinned as he replied "Come on Diaz, Sasuke-teme can do better than you!"

Roaring in rage, Diaz threw another punch, and dodging the punch, Naruto grabbed the arm. Pivoting, he tossed Diaz with ease using a judo throw, sending him bouncing down the street.

Pushing his hat up with his finger, Naruto watched the man push himself from the dirt as he asked "Why're you talking down to your crewmates when you're as weak as them?"

"Yo-you little bastard!" Diaz snarled, reaching into his coat and retrieving a flintlock pistol, aiming at Naruto, who blinked in surprise as he asked "What kinda weapon's that?"

Diaz merely smirked, muttered "stupid brat" and fired. The bullet struck Naruto in the chest, causing him to almost double over.

Hinata leapt from her seat, eyes wide in horror as she cried "NARUTO-KUN!" while Sonomaru merely stared in shock, stunned.

Diaz's smirk quickly disappeared as Naruto thrust his chest out, the small lead pellet flying back at the 'Iron Fist' captain, forcing him to fall backwards to avoid being shot by his own bullet.

"Eh? What the hell was that?" Naruto asked, patting his chest and stomach, blue eyes wide in shock, turning in place as he tried to see his back. Stopping, he reached down and slipped his finger into his vest where the bullet struck, a frown on his face as he did so.

"Ho-how..." Diaz asked, eyes turning from the gun to Naruto and back to his gun. Scowling, he tossed the gun away and rose to his feet, dusting himself off as he clenched his fists, then looked to Hinata and Sonomaru.

"What'cha thinking about?" Naruto asked, his entire body tensing as Diaz prepared to attack...

Only to turn and leap at Hinata, fist at the ready. Sonomaru's eyes widened as he reached for his katana, Naruto took off at a run to catch up to the man, and Hinata stared in horror at the incoming fist.

As time seemed to slow down around her, a memory pushed itself to the forefront. But unlike many memories, this one wasn't sad, or painful. It was one of her rare, precious good memories, of a kind smile of a teacher. One who taught her so much.

_'Com'on kid, all you've gotta do is believe in yourself.'_

Her face hardening, Hinata backhanded the punch away and brought her foot up, the toe of her sandal connecting with the man's jaw.

Sonomaru and Naruto stopped mid-motion as Hinata's kick sent Diaz arcing through the air away from her bonelessly, crashing into the building across the street. Blinking, Hinata stared in shock at what she'd done, falling back into a seated position, unsure of what happened.

"Hinata..." Naruto muttered, Hinata shakingly turning to face him. Her eyes widened at the bright smile he was giving her as he gave her a thumbs up 'Good Guy' pose, the blonde crying "That was AWESOME!"

"Where'd that come from!" Sonomaru asked, clapping her on the shoulder with a bright smile.

"Thank you..." she murmured, her face turning a bright red as she smiled sheepishly, tapping her index fingers together.

"Y-YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

They turned to see Diaz standing before the hole his body had made, blood flowing down his chin, his snarl revealing several missing teeth, bloodlust in his eyes. Wiping some of the blood on the back of his sleeve, he growled as he narrowed his eyes on the girl, causing her to wilt under the hatred in his eyes.

"Hey! Don't talk about Hinata-chan like that, teme!" Naruto yelled in reply, glaring back at the man. Ignoring the pain in his jaw and his common sense, Diaz roared and charged Naruto, throwing his most powerful punch at the blonde. The iron bar covering his knuckles connected with the blonde's face and stopped.

Blinking, Diaz stared, paling as Naruto stood strong after taking his strongest punch, not even noticably injured. And if anything, the blond's smile grew even more predatory as he stated "My turn."

His fist shot backward, his arm twisting as it did so. Diaz tried to move, tried to force himself to move, but fear and disbelief kept him from doing so, watching as the stretched arm came rocketing back, his fist spinning rapidly as his arm untwisted itself.

"GOMU GOMU NO RIFLE!"

Naruto's spinning fist connected with the man's stomach like a drill. Lifted off his feet, Diaz began spinning like a top in the same direction as Naruto's fist as he was sent flying backwards. A deafening crash sounded as he slammed into the wall of another building.

Straightening up, Naruto waited several moments before smiling, crossing his arms over his chest as he said "Well, that takes care of that. Wouldn't you guys agree?"

Sonomaru grinned and said "I would."

Smiling softly, Hinata nodded as she said "Ye-yes."

Turning to his crew, Naruto gave them a friendly grin as he said "Now, how about we get you guys those new pirate clothes?"

"Y-you... you de-defeated them..."

The trio looked around, finding people beginning to cautiously trek back onto the street, staring at the fallen pirates and their defeated captain in silent awe. These three had somehow not only defeated the Iron Fist pirates, but had done so in a way as to make it look... easy.

"Ho-how..." a young woman asked, and Naruto shrugged as he asked "How what?"

"Ho-how di-did you de-defeat the I-Iron Fist pirates?" a man asked, and Naruto shrugged again as he said "We just did, easy as that. You know, they weren't all that tough once you actually fought them."

"Bu-but..." another muttered, and they watched as the old man who'd yelled at them earlier stopped in front of them. Watching him for a few seconds, he collapsed to his knees and bowed, arms before him and face down.

"I-I'm sorry for m-my earlier actions! Pl-please forgive me!" he begged. Naruto turned to Hinata and Sonomaru, who looked back with equal confusion, before he rubbed the back of his head with a face-splitting smile as he said "Don't worry about it, Ojii-san!"

"How can we ever thank you?" a man, who appeared to be the town's mayor, asked, and Naruto tapped his chin before grinning and saying "Well, a good meal and some more 'piratey' attire for my crewmates would be nice."

"Pirate-y? Y-you mean that you-you're pi-pirates?" the first woman asked, and Naruto nodded as he said "Yep. I'm Captain Uzumaki D. Naruto, and they're my crew, First Mate Hyuuga Hinata and Chef Kitsareta Sonomaru." motioning to each in turn.

The people paled, and one of them muttered "Oh no... not again."

"What's wrong with you guys?" Naruto asked, and Hinata whispered "Th-they think w-we're go-going to ta-take the pla-place of th-the I-Iron Fi-Fist Pirates."

"Oooh... Well, don't worry about that! Can't be Pirate King if I stick around here, can I?" Naruto said, waving off their fears, and Sonomaru grinned and added "Besides, this'll be our 'Point of Origin' in our pirate legacy."

"What?" Naruto asked, and Sonomaru said "The 'Point of Origin' in any pirate legacy is the village, town, or city where a pirate or pirates start off. The 'Point of Origin' tends to get famous for being an infamous pirate's hometown. Take Gold Roger and Logue Town, Monkey D. Luffy and Fuschia Village, or Usopp and Syrup Village. Go to any one of those places, and you will find a tourist's paradise with souvenires, tours of famous locations, and other such things."

"Oooh..." Naruto said, then turned to the crowd and asked "Can this be our 'Point of Origin' then?"

Everyone around them stared in stunned silence, before the mayor stepped forward and nodded slowly, muttering "OK... I guess..."

"Thanks!" Naruto said, taking the man's hand and giving it a firm, double-handed shake. After freeing his hand from the blonde's grip, the man blinked and asked "Sooo, about that meal and clothes..."

"Yeah! Beating up on those Iron Fist guys got me hungry!" Naruto said, rubbing his stomach as it growled in agreement.

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Sitting at a table piled with dirty dishes, Naruto patted his stomach contently as he let out a content burp, getting a soft giggle from Hinata and a reproachful look from Sonomaru, both of whom he ignored as he said "Aaaaah! That was good!"

"Try and have some manners, Naruto." Sonomaru said with a frown, to which Naruto gave him a grin and replied "Nah! Pirates don't need manners!"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt you to at least be a little more respectful to our hosts, who are feeding us for free." Sonomaru countered, and Naruto's grin merely grew wider as he said "I think burping IS respectful! It means that I enjoyed the meal served to me, and the burp is my stomach trying to make room for more food by pushing out the air."

"Where'd you get a stupid idea like that?" Sonomaru asked, and Naruto said "Teuchi-jiji told me that."

"Your grandpa?" Sonomaru asked, and Naruto nodded, his mood dampening as he said "Kinda... yeah. Well, one of them. But they have more important things to do than worry about me."

"What a-about your family, Sonomaru-kun? Won't they wo-worry about you?" Hinata asked, and the green-haired boy frowned, his own mood dampened as he said "Nah, they won't."

"Why not?" Naruto asked, and Sonomaru replied "They're dead."

"Oh... I'm so-sorry I br-brought it u-up." Hinata said, but Sonomaru waved it off with smile and said "Don't worry about it."

After a few moments of silence, Naruto said "I'm tired of this sad stuff! Let's talk about your new pirate clothes!"

The other two quickly grabbed onto the new conversation topic, Hinata blushing as she asked "Wh-what do y-you think?"

"Well... I dunno, actually. Maybe you can come up with some ideas." Naruto said with a grin, getting a sigh from Sonomaru as he asked "Then why do you want to talk about it if you don't have any ideas?"

"I thought you guys might have some ideas of your own or something." Naruto replied with a happy shrug. A thud sounded as Sonomaru's head hit the table, Hinata watching the green-haired boy with concern.

"So-Sonomaru-kun, are y-you OK?" Hinata murmured, and the boy replied "Honestly? No. I believe that our Captain's going to slowly, ever so slowly, drive me insane."

"Really?" Naruto asked, and Sonomaru gave a thumbs up, to which the blonde gave a bright smile and said "Cool! Think that's one of my new powers? The ability to make people insane?"

"I'd definitely say yes... At least with me, that is." Sonomaru said, and Hinata asked "Do-does that me-mean your le-leaving?"

"No. Got nothing better to do, and I might get to be the fun kind of insane, the kind where people find you enjoyable to be around for your insanity-induced wackiness." Sonomaru said, and Naruto said "Good! Think positive!"

"You're actively trying to drive me insane now, aren't you?" Sonomaru asked, and Naruto smirked, looking away as he said "Maaaybe."

Sitting silently with them, Hinata merely listened to the two talk with a smile.

4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4

"Come out!"

"No!"

"Get out here and let us see!"

"I most certainly WILL NOT!"

"I think it looks intimidating!"

"I think it looks ridiculous!"

"Please?"

A defeated sigh came from the dressing room before the door opened and Sonomaru walked out. Naruto took one look and immediately collapsed to the ground, roaring with laughter and clutching his stomach. Dressed in a pink t-shirt under a neon green jacket and tight yellow slacks, Sonomaru glared at his 'captain' for several long, intense minutes.

"I hate you."

Storming back into the dressing room, a long series of muttered profanities escaped it, which only served to fuel Naruto's laughter.

"Na-Na-Naruto-kun?"

His fit of laughter dying down, Naruto wiped his eyes dry and raised up on his arms, looking to where Hinata stood. The minute his eyes hit her, his jaw went slack and eyes widened. Gone was her thick jacket and slacks, and in its place was a deep purple t-shirt with a bright smiley face on the front under a thin black jacket, a pair of dark blue slacks, and a pair of black dinner shoes on her feet.

Tapping her fingers together, Hinata murmured "Ho-how do-does this lo-look?"

Rising to his feet, Naruto adjusted his hat, a blush on his cheeks as he muttered "I-I-It lo-looks ni-nice, Hi-Hinata-chan." Blushing in return, Hinata smiled with a murmured "Th-thank you."

Stepping out of his dressing room wearing an open short-sleeved yellow Hawaiian shirt over a navy blue wifebeater, a pair of black jeans, and boots that went to mid-calf, Sonomaru looked over Hinata, gave her a reassuring smile, and said "Yeah, that does look good Hinata. Good choice."

Glaring at Naruto, he added "Especially since you didn't have laughing boy here pick out your clothes for you."

Grinning to Sonomaru in return, Naruto said "It looked intimidating!"

His glare deepening, Sonomaru muttered "Yeah, that's why the moment I stepped out in that bright-colored monstrousity, you fell to the ground in a fit of laughter. That means it was **real** intimidating."

"Ah, you need to loosen up!" Naruto said, wrapping an arm around Sonomaru's neck as he said "Anyways, its time for us to begin our great pirate adventure!"

"And what's our pirate name going to be?" Sonomaru asked, and at that question, Naruto grew quiet, face scrunched up in concentration. After several moments of silence, Naruto waved his hand before him as he said "The Naruto Pirates!"

"Pass."

"The Blonde Pirates?"

"Never."

"The Gorilla Bear Squid Pirates?"

"... What?"

Waving him off, Naruto grinned and said "Aaah, we'll decide on a name later! Right now, we've got to go on the open road, get us a boat, and then go on the open sea, where adventure and riches await us! Image the strong opponents that we'll meet out on the waters!"

Eyes shining in excitement, Sonomaru wrapped his arm around Naruto's neck as he said "Now you're speaking my language!"

Looking to Hinata, Naruto wrapped his arm around the pale-eyed girl's neck, not noticing the fact she looked about five seconds from passing out at the contact as he said "Hinat-chan, Sonomaru, I do believe this is the start of a beautiful friendship!"

"Yeah, we're now nakama, through and through!" Sonomaru said, and at that Naruto grew quiet.

"Na-Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, and he looked at her with a brilliant smile as he said "I have our pirate name now!"

"What?" Sonomaru questioned apprehensively, and Naruto's smile grew as he said "We're the Nakama Pirates!"


End file.
